Wednesday May 8th, 2024 7:02PM

Jays rally past Braves in 10 innings

By The Associated Press

TORONTO -- Josh Donaldson hit his third home run in two days, a leadoff shot in the 10th inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays over the Atlanta Braves 6-5 Saturday.

Donaldson's drive into the second deck of the left-field stands was his third hit of the afternoon. He hit 29 homers last year with Oakland, was traded to Toronto in the offseason and launched his first two home runs Friday night in an 8-7 loss.

Donaldson connected on the second pitch from Sugar Ray Marimon (0-1), handing Atlanta its first road defeat of the season.

Toronto reliever Brett Cecil (1-1) picked up the win after working a scoreless 10th.

Down 4-0 in the seventh inning after home runs by Freddie Freeman and A.J. Pierzynski, the Blue Jays rallied against Alex Wood with the help of Jose Bautista's third homer.

Atlanta's Kelly Johnson hit a solo home run in the ninth that made it 5-all.

Toronto starter R.A. Dickey's control issues carried over from his previous outing in last Monday's home opener, when he walked in both two runs in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

After giving up a first-inning single to Alberto Callaspo, Dickey proceeded to load the bases on back-to-back walks. Chris Johnson had a sacrifice fly before the 32-pitch inning came to an end with a 10-pitch strikeout of Pierzynski.

Freeman homered for the second straight day, hitting a two-run shot off the second-deck facade in center field in the third. It was his fourth home run.

Pierzynski made it 4-0, connecting in the fourth for his third homer.

The Blue Jays scored three times in the seventh and chased Wood. Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged a call that Dalton Pompey had reached first on an infield hit that scored a run with two outs, and the ruling stood.

Bautista put Toronto ahead 5-4 with a two-run drive in the eighth off Jim Johnson.

Kelly Johnson, formerly of the Blue Jays, tied it with his homer in the ninth off Miguel Castro.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: OF Michael Saunders (hamstring) was expected to resume his rehab assignment for Single-A Dunedin. Manager John Gibbons said the earliest he could rejoin the Blue Jays is next weekend in Tampa Bay.

UP NEXT

Braves RH Shelby Miller (1-0) faces Daniel Norris (1-0) on Sunday. In his second careerstart in Toronto, Miller will be hoping to replicate last year's success, when he tossed a three-hit shutout as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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